Sharp County record., 1887-02-24
SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS.
The Defects of the Bill Now Before the
Legislature to Provide for Uniform Text
Books Discussed.

Legislature to Provide for Uniform IeNt
Books Discussed.
A correspondent of the Little Rock
Democrat writes as follows in regard to
what he claims are defects in the bill now
before the State Legislature to provide
uniform text books in the schools:
One of the most expensive necessaries
for the average family is the cost OF the
text books used by the children, and any
thing that can be done to cheaper the
price of school books so that all classes
may be able to send their children to the
district, village or city schools, will be
benefit conferred upon all alike,
A bill is now pending before the Aakans-
as Legislature, providing for uniform
series of school books throughout all the
counties of the State.
Is not this a move in the wrong direct
iona
Will it not fasten upon the people books
that may become obsolete by virtue OF
long usage and thus deteriorate progress
of the school interests of the State by pre-
venting competition in progressive text
books that may be made in the mean
time2
Will county uniformity, where one set
of text books may be selected Tor one
county, another series for another county,
and so on, prevent constant change OF
text books! People moving from one coun-
ty to another might find an entire new set
of books in use from those that they were
using in the county in which they were
formerly living, and they would have to
burden themselves with the expense OF
purchasing new books.
Statistics show that removals take place
as frequently from one county to another
as they do from one school district to an
other, hence the great argument that
county uniformity Of books saves expense
to the people is not true
On the contrary, contracts made with
publishing houses for term of five years
or more has always proved to be detrl-
mental to the financial interest Of
the people, as it cOmpels the
use of certain books for a period
of years at prices stipulated and con
tracted for with the publishers, nOtWith-
standing the price of labor and material
may be greatly reduced during the period
of the contract.
Again, county uniformity precludes the
possibility of competition among publish
ers as to merit of books, the durability Of
their binding, or the cheapness OF the
price at which they are to be furnished
after they have once been introduced.
Will it not also allow the few to dictate
to the many!
As understand the bill, commission
composed of the State Superintendent,
the county examiner and two teachers
are to select the books for the whole
county, and the books so selected are to
be used for a term of five years without
change.
Now, if such provisions are made
in the bill one or two smart publish
ers with the moneyed power and force
of agents can 60 into any county or
all the counties in the State, force
upon the people their books, good, bad or
Indifferent, at high prices, and no one Will
have the right to protest.
The county board may be composed OF
honorable and high-minded men and all be
gentlemen of standing and education, but
the skilled book agent will be eupearly and
late. He will resort to every means known
to the plausible craft to carry the adop-
ton of the books that he represents and
he will succeed too.
Or supposing under the proposed regu-
lations a certain number of publishers
choose to form a combination and lay
the plan that in one county one set o.
readers, published by a certain house,
must be adopted, that the biographies OF
another house. the arithmetics of third
and the grammars Of fourth publishing
house shall be introduced, the result
would be changed in the next county, and
if agents combine in thrusting upon the
people readers not selected in the first
county, but so equalize matters that each
house throughout the State gets Its rela-
tive proportion of publications and in this
manner secure the use Of the books that
they may demand shall be introduced
who is going to prevent the success of
such combination! 1t has won in Othe
States, Notwithstanding the best of safe
guards have been taken to prevent monop-
oles and rings gaining the control of the
sales Of the books of the States.
Kansas has tried the uniformity scheme
and found it dangerous and abusive.
California tried it and finally discarded
it for State printing.
Missouri had uniformity for some years
and discarded it by act of the Legislature
by such pressure as never came to the
Legislature from the people on any other
measure.
1t was odious, burdensome, oppressive
and unbearable by reason of the high
prices of book monopolies
Now, the district system, the only one
that leaves the selection Of books in the
hands of the people, prevails in Missouri,
as well as in Illinois, where county uni
formity prevailed and became seriously
Objectionable, owing to the manipulations
of rings and monopolies.
If the school patrons of our State want
to keep out of jobs and prevent the pass
age of law that will saddle upon the
people an expense of hundreds of thous-
ands of dollars annually for five years to
come, and it might be for ten or twenty
years, they should rise up against the
passage of this law, and thus prevent the
execution of scheme that would be a